In my opinion that whole "pay attention" isn't him flirting, it's him treating her like a sibling. Like the only person he has drifted with: his brother.
I agree. Note also how they don't kiss at the end, as is action movie standard. They hug, there's some affectionate head touching, but all the physical affection is closer to how Aragorn is with his comrades in Lord of the Rings than typical romantic intimacy. They're close, but it is ambiguous whether or not they have romantic feelings for each other. That's one thing I really like about this movie, not only is the female lead just as capable and has just as much agency as the male, it also isn't assumed that a close relationship between them necessarily leads to romance.
Given that the only other mixed-sex Jaeger team is a married couple, Mako peeping on Raleigh, etc, the simpler, more logical explanation is that Raleigh and Mako's relationship *is* a romantic one, it's just played with a little more restraint than most modern movies.
@@CanadianPale But even the scene of her peeking can be read ambiguously. Yes, she is most likely checking him out, but the film very clearly shows us (and her) his scars from the fight where he lost his brother. And it could easily be read as her seeing them and "getting" something about him, his past, and his mindset. Furthering the idea of their drift compatability.
@@scaper8 there's nothing ambiguous about it. Mako reacts to Raleigh looking her in the eye like a bashful teenage girl caught in the act of checking out a boy she's attracted to (immediately getting flustered and hiding behind her door), not a grave and grizzled fellow warrior analytically observing another's scars, nor does the camera give any emphasis to lingering traces of physical damage to Raleigh's body, but instead focuses on his well-defined torso as a whole.
Something you missed, but then you were looking at the choreography so it's not like you missed it and rather ignored it, is that Stacker criticises Mako after she gains a point and tells her "More control". This shows that her being unpredictable is something Stacker notices, and that he wants to "correct" her so that she isn't the best candidate. He knows that if she continues fighting like this Raleigh won't accept anyone but her, and he doesn't want that. And she she disobeys him. It's a great character moment imo, for both of them.
the lore explanation for why stacker can drift with anyone is because he's very practiced with meditation; any two people could theoretically drift together, even complete strangers, but incompatibility comes from them trying to control random memories or thoughts that might show up in the drift. they get focused on trying to hide scary, shameful, or other negative memories or thoughts and end up "chasing the rabbit". stacker's practiced letting those thoughts and memories pass by, so he doesnt get lost in them. that of course takes nothing into account for his potential random drift partner, but i would assume chuck at least trusts stacker enough and is practiced in letting thoughts go by to drift well enough for a world-saving mission
presumably the focus required to do it effectively, all by himself, even though it was causing him significant injury (and presumably pain) means he's had to control a jager under far worse conditions than a rowdy co-pilot.
@@reganator5000 most of the visible damage done to rangers piloting solo was unrelated to them piloting alone. stacker's health was declining because of cancer caused by coyote tango's reactor shielding design, and raleigh's injuries were damage from knifehead and g danger's circuit suit short-circuiting after her arm was torn off. the ability to pilot a jaeger solo isnt a descriptor of their mental strength, its more related to their ability to endure the mental load until they die or they dont have to anymore. before the drift was discovered, many people died, or had brain damage and seizures, testing jaeger technology because all of the first pilots were solo. with a sample size that large, it probably has less to do with a particular ability they all lacked and raleigh and stacker somehow have, and more related to an adrenaline rush like the anecdote about a mother lifting a car off of her child the canon explanation for why stacker can drift with basically anyone, even a pisshead like chuck, is because he meditates all the time and is practiced in letting thoughts and memories drift by instead of clinging to them, so hes able to focus on helping someone like chuck do that and stay in sync instead of desynching
So here's the thing in the original cut of the film they kiss at the end on the lifepod. The test audience didn't like it so they cut it. Except they sent the first cut to some theatres including the one I went to. I was so thrown when I see it again in VOD
I'm surprised you don't mention the fact that his face is so calm while Chuck slams him into a wall. He simply takes the hit because he knows it doesn't matter, and takes the time to plan his next move. "Able to think while angry" indeed.
I really enjoy how the leg lock Raleigh uses in the end of his fight with Chuck reminds me of the leglock Mako uses in her fight with Raleigh. He's not just fighting Chuck in defense of Mako. He's fighting Chuck the way Mako would. And that my friends, is what being drift compatible is all about.
I haven’t seen the movie, but from the footage in this video and Jill’s description of the finishing move in the “VS Chuck” fight as being Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, I’d have to guess it’s an Omo Plata, which is an armlock applied by one’s legs. Anybody?
@@5RRRtarRiver Correct, it's not a leglock, it's an arm submission. Basically the BJJ equivalent of twisting your little brother's arm behind their back. Note that he also applies a wristlock to Chuck's left hand as well. With a normal omo plata, you would see him sit up and reach across his back to the right shoulder, putting even more stress on the left shoulder. This can be used to dislocate or even break the arm if followed through with. However with the more relaxed posture and the wristlock, it appears more as if he is subduing him rather than attempting to injure him.
I don’t think Mako would be able to push Chuck around, not saying she wouldn’t win she’d kick his ass, she’s kind of a small lady and Ral was using his weight against Chucks quiet a lot in this “fight” here. She’d be more about hitting the back the knee and hurting him a lot more.
Pacific Rim is what happens when someone take a dumb action movie concept, and gives it the time and attention of talented artists. There is no reason action has to be dumb, except that we treat it as dumb.
That kissing moment at end didn't happen was perfect. The moment leaned standard love intreset beats but sitting there in mutual friendship was the perfect subversion.
Just a thing that i was hoping you'd comment on, because i've only seen like one post on tumblr about it probably five years ago: in the fight with Chuck, at first Raleigh is fighting using his own skills, with which he would have eventually beaten Chuck anyway. But with their last exchange he gets REALLY efficient, stops meeting force with force (blocking) and fluidly redirects Chuck's attack into the Jiu-Jitsu move that ends the fight. It's been theorized (and i hold to this) that because Raleigh has drifted with Mako by this point, he's learned her skillset and thought process toward fighting ("could have finished two moves earlier"), coupled with the fact that since she's smaller and no necessarily as strong, redirection is the smarter thing to do. Also it's kind of poetic because it's like "you're gonna insult Mako? Fine, i'm gonna beat your ass with HER abilities."
There’s also a thing in the lore that never comes up in the movie, which I believe is called “ghost drifting,” (I could be remembering wrong,) which basically means that because they’ve known eachother’s thought process, it’s possible to think and follow eachother like they’re drifting even when they’re not plugged in. I’ve always personally liked the version of this theory where it’s not just that Raleigh is echoing Mako’s fighting style, but that by the end of this fight, they are ghost drifting with eachother - in that moment, they are one and the same in thought and choice of action, two halves of a whole. This is supported not just by the face Raleigh fights like someone half his own size, but when you catch glimpses of Mako in the background, she’s in a defensive posture, fists up, even though she’s standing at least 10ft away from the fight.
Pacific Rim just released an anime spinoff set years after the sequel, and it pretty much confirms your theory: drifting makes people share not just memories, but also skills. One of the ancillary characters, an engineer, is forced to drift with multiple mercenaries in quick succession. While he ends up losing half his tech skills, he develops the skill to toss daggers and juggle. Later on, the hero drifts with the recorded memories of Chuck's dad, Herc Hansen, and starts thinking Herc's memories are his. I suggest everyone check out Pacific Rim: The Black. It's really good, even for an anime, and especially for an anime that uses super-choppy 3D animation. My only negatives for it are that it's set in Australia but only two characters have an Australian accent.
somebody on tumblr pointed out once that while most of the chuck fight is raileigh whaling on him, the final takedown is "mako-style" lever work, like the move she used to finish off their final bout so not only did they click - he learned something from her already
Oddly enough, I never shipped these two. I always felt that, while they indeed share something very intimate it actually precludes romantic interest. Don't get me wrong, there's a solid 80% chance that they knocked boots as soon as they hit dry land, but I'd wager it'd be a one-time thing. With all that being said, I'm firmly on team Pretend Uprising Never Happened.
I fucking love that they managed to have a whole movie establishing physical and emotional compatibility of a male and female lead character and even hint at a glimmer of sexual interest and then resist the urge to have them kiss at the end. That moment was not about that and the head touch was perfect. That took serious conviction from the screenwriters to steer away from that cliche and was one of the best surprises in a film featuring an orbital swordfight with an alien pterosaur and Ron Perlman being eaten midsentence 😄
"If, as Raleigh says, '...it's a dialogue not a fight...' on the mat, then this is not so much a dialogue as a monologue Chuck tries, and mostly fails, to interrupt..." I'm referring to one-sided fights as monologues from now on...like I'm just gonna straight up steal that. Payment is a subscription.
I just can't help but imagine thought process in Raleigh's head. "Maybe we should try to reason with this asshol... oh, he goes for my partner for her mistake that could happen to anyone on their first drift. Well, let's skip to more efficient language."
_"When you learn fight choreography, you don't try to learn it all in one go, because that would be terrible and inefficient and your brain will explode..."_ And after a moment of laughter, I subscribe...
In the first move, when he strikes but doesnt hit her; I took it as: him saying with body language "Will you trust me?" And when she doesnt flinch it's her saying "Yes I will" then she does the same it's like she is saying "Will you trust me?" And he response as well without flinching its him saying "Yes I will" with his body language. Because trust is the foundation of any bond you want to build with someone especially if the person you're trying to bond with needs to have your back while controlling a Kaiiju size mech lol
This is why there should be oscars for stunt choreography and stunt work. When done well, it's a beautifully deep way of communicating story and character.
Also I love that Chuck has the crap kicked out of him quite easily proving that the only reason his Jaeger has the most kills is because it's the newest and best machine, not necessarily because of his skill
I think another big reason Chuck loses this fight so badly is because it doesn't mean anything to him. Chuck is used to running his mouth without consequences or minimal consequences. But this matters to Raleigh. Raleigh will take flack for his own actions, but Chuck manages to hit a nerve - Mako is going to suffer for Raleigh going out of drift first. Chuck finally said the wrong thing to the wrong Jaeger pilot. This is basically the kick in the a** Herc and Raleigh are talking about earlier in the cafeteria.
You manage to make these fight scenes “speak”. Ordinarily, I see fight scenes as time wasters used to fill in before the plot restarts. Thank you for the insight.
I think Jill's TLJ video does this too. We've become kinda bad at talking about the way in which action scenes work dramatically, which is action something Pacific Rim's great for. Unlike, say, Marvel films where most of the setpieces are done solely by VFX people without a director's input, GdT was involved with all the CG-based stuff and as a result the whole film speaks with his "voice."
I have fenced heavy rapier - always sparring - for over a decade. There are people I have sparred with so regularly that we can utterly predict each other. That typically results in long exchanges punctuated by a mutual kill - we each know the counter, each avoid it, and both end up getting stabbed.
Oh, I know that feeling. When I did Judo I had this one friend, we were evenly matched. Every single last match up ended up being "Who's gonna get tired of being stuck evenly first?" and since mutual loss isn't a thing in Judo one had to take the hit.
If fights are a dialogue, then your videos are the subtitles. I knew I loved these fights and you helped explain it so well. I also loved the character decision to have Raleigh not react to being insulted but super defensive of Mako. It shows an interesting character trait that I find super telling of who he is. I also find it a really interesting choice that he holds Mako back from defending HER BFF, but then snaps when he insults HIS BFF. The fact that both of them are able to keep their cool when being the target of direct attacks, but being super protective over those they care about is such a great illustration of just how deep their bond is ideologically. They aren't just compatible because they know the same moves and techniques, but because they have similar worldviews, priorities, and values. It also shows how well he understands her, because he's able to anticipate Mako's reaction to Chuck insulting Raleigh, probably because he's had a brother who would stand up for him like that in the past. Meanwhile, Mako, did not, so his defensiveness takes her by surprise... Or maybe she just wants to see Raleigh kick his ass, too. So glad I've found your videos, and thank you so much for your deep insightful analyses!
I really like the idea of fight subtitles. Though an argument could be made for translation, too. Either way it has added to my experience of a number of movies. And a number of times it has caused me to want to see movies I previously had not and was not previously especially interested in. (Like this one. I've not seen it yet, but at this point I think I probably will.)
Its interesting that you mention the unpredictable moves working less and less because, in the novelisation of the film, Mako doesn't win that last point - Mako and Raleigh hit a stalemate. Neither one of them is able to win because they're too in sync. So when Pentecost says "Enough" he's actually calling an end to the fight else it'll go on forever. The match ends on a draw and THAT'S how they can tell they're drift compatible. Wonder why they didn't go that route in the film.
I've read once that Chuck expresses love to HIS FATHER through his dog Max, and that made so much sense and moved me deeply. 7 years later, I still love Pacific Rim so, so dearly.
Pacific Rim managed to surprise me in being nowhere near as dumb as I expected. I especially liked the respect that Raleigh shows to Mako. He treats her as an equal, especially after their sparring match; and he fights her corner in trying to convince the boss-fella that she's the most suitable Jaeger pilot. Also, until the very end, the film barely even hints at any romantic interest between them. It was only after she pulled him out of the escape pod that it looked like they might kiss. It's the kind of film in which I expect an inexplicable romance to occur, and it confounded my expectations.
I will now refer to this as the “prequel” to the “Flirty Fight Trilogy” Because it lays the groundwork for the language used in the descriptions in Mask of Zorro and PP&Z, and the massacre that get fixed in Bulletproof Monk.
Note that Mako mirroring Raleigh starts before even their match, with that little swagger as she steps into the ring, completely at odds with her original personality. From the behind-the-scenes notes, Raleigh is the impulsive, improvisational type, while Mako is the strategic, perfectionist type. Raleigh's strength is being unpredictable (hence why he kept trouncing the other recruits), but Mako has studied his strategies and knows how to to counter them, even if her lack of experience means he can still catch her off guard she's initially unprepared.
honestly, the kaiju are the weakest part of Pacific Rim. sure, the jaeger fights are awesome, but the only reason they mean anything is the pilots in the conn-pod. while it is possible to break down the big Jaeger fights the way you just did here, the kaiju are just... there. the only reason those fights have any life to them are the cuts to the pilots in the conn-pod (that shot of the russian pilots drowning under Leatherback while still clawing at their opponent? :chef's kiss: perfection). the reason Pacific Rim resonates with so many people (and why so many people were outraged by The Sequel That Shall Not Be Named) is this. the human connection. because I too initially dismissed this movie as "giant robots fighting giant monsters". But it's so much more.
The giant robots fighting giant aliens get's people in their seats. The people piloting those robots keep them there. I'm using what Kevin Smith said about a marvel movie, Endgame I believe. It just works in the context of what you said as well.
While you definitely have a point that the pilots breathe life into the action, the kaiju aren't meant to do that. Kaiju, when used properly, breathe life into the *environment*, whether that's by how they move through it or how they destroy it.
I'd actually say the Kaiju battles are really well-made in terms of setting stakes and expectations, reversing advantage, etc. And they're rendered gloriously.
Every great Mecha show is great because of the pilots, with mechs themselves being extensions of said pilots. Most people remember 0079 for the rivalry between Amuro and Char.
"-but is basically the only hobby that lets me get out in the fresh air, and even then only sometimes." Good hobby to have during an international quarantine, then?
"I loved this movie a lot more than I thought I would." That sums up my experience pretty well. I went into it fully expecting to hate it... I have now watched the movie no fewer than six times
I love this dumb giant robot movie so much. It has all the trappings of a silly summer popcorn flick with this amazing human way to approach the main characters. Also, they're friends at the end. Ugh. So good.
I love it when "big, dumb action movies" have much more going on beneath the surface. Also, as Seraph says: "You never truly know someone until you fight them."
Can i just say, that i just watched this movie, for the first time, a few weeks ago, and it happened to be one of those cases where i went 'how on earth did i miss this movie for so god damn long?!' Seriously. I did not expect to fall in love with a western godzilla adaption so much. Although, i think, this is Gavin Dunne's fault, partially. That song is just so good
This movie is unironically one of my favorite movies (if not my actual favorite movie). I've watched it a couple times now (including a few days ago) and it holds up so well. It's over the top, unapologetic about what it is, but also sneakily about love in every form (brotherly, father/daughter or father/son, friendship, romantic, etc) and how each form is important and let's you do amazing things. Heck, they even have a "love story" of mutual respect between the two scientists that have to work together in the end to tell everybody how to get through the rift. Am I being over the top and mushy? Maybe? But man there aren't many action movies that can make me cry with a single line. "That's my son in there. My SON." And "sensei...aishite imasu" get me every time.
Regarding the anticipation thing, as a HEMA fighter, I will say it is 100% possible to anticipate where to block before the previous bind has even broken. I once was once long sword fighting with my instructor after around a year of training and we were close enough to each other that there should have been no way either of us lasted more than an instant but we went back and forth for 10-15 passes in rapid succession from every angle. The closest fight analogy would be Anakin vs Obi-wan just much shorter, and a lot less flashy but take a few seconds of that fight and you've got about how close we were and how intense it was. Obviously, this sort of thing is only possible if the two fighters know each other's fighting well enough like in Pacific Rim's drift test or Anakin vs Obi-wan (which, even without force premonition, would almost be possible).
“...everythingally” is my new favorite phrase. But really, thanks for such a fun video! This movie is so fun and sadly not much talked about. I appreciated your insights into the characters and how the fights express them.
Between this and your Pirates vlog I’ve learned a lot. Both about fight choreography and progression of story line. While I enjoyed Pirates (the movie) what I saw of Pacific Rim lead me to believe it was a B-rate Godzilla knockoff. Obviously I was wrong. I’ll have to watch it again from the beginning. Thank you!
Small bitey cat who has a soft side if they like you, + large friendly golden retriever who's easygoing but *will* throw down if you hurt his people = my favorite pairing for friends and romance alike.
It's not a monologue, it's a lecture. And Chuck just refuses to listen--with predictable results. And, I just subscribed. Thank you for this analysis of how fight scenes express character!
My headcanon is that every pilot Pentecost trained learned Japanese and some of his philosophy. Or that Raleigh and his brother learned it because they joined so young that Pentecost was like a second father to them.
I squeed when I saw this video title. I love this movie. With the sparring match between Mako and Raleigh, I hadn't really considered his unpredictably and that they're looking for someone to keep up with him. It didn't consciously register for me why the other people weren't on his level till you pointed it out. And it makes me actually appreciate the fight even more. The hallway fight is so satisfying. In my brain the final move he uses is something Mako would do - like even when they're not drifting their fight styles are wearing off on each other. I'm pretty sure this is just my head cannon, however.
As an author who wants to write realistic fight scenes but has absolutely no clue how to fight in the first place, this was very helpful. Thank you, Jill
Thank you! I was rewatching Pacific Rim (it's a favorite) and I FINALLY understand how the spars determined drift comparability. It makes the movie, and the later fight with jerk face even better
I’m just gonna put this on videos I dig, starting with this one- My country is even more of a shithole than usual right now, and I’m feeling a lot of simmering directionless rage. You have my sincere thanks for putting up something that could let me escape from that for a few minutes. -Nicholas
You should do the throne room scene in _Return of the Jedi._ Or perhaps a three-parter - the first fight between Vader and Luke in _Empire_, the second fight in _Return_ and then a lesson on how they differ.
Funny thing I've watched this movie several time already, and I've failed to really get the stick fighting scene. I get it's purpose I just wasn't able to break it down like she did.
I love this film and I love these two. I love their friendship and I'm so, so thankful it's not romantic. I love that they're comfortable with playful flirting but it's still clear it's friendship. Because friends flirt! Flirting is fun!
I was surprised by your point on the identically dressed asian guys in the partnering fight being deliberately bland to visually indicate that they're a bad match to Raleigh. There were three of them and they were so identical I've read them as the Crimson Typhoon pilots any time I watched the scene, imagining it was some kind of 'test the newcomer' thing since pairing with Raleigh would have broken up their Jaeger team. I think it's fascinating that if the Chinese pilots were introduced with more depth than just 'asian trio' or if there weren't exactly 3 matching hopeful recruits, I doubt I'd have made that false association.
Rewatching the scene here you can see the red jumpsuits of the actual Crimson Typhoon pilots in the back spectating but since I'd already decided the fighters on the mat were the trio of brothers my brain interpreted them as crew members wearing similar red uniforms who were there to support 'their' pilots. It's funny how one misinterpretation can cascade like that.
You've added huge depth to the film I didn't even catch and this is one of my favorite movies. Thank you. I'm going to watch much more intently when there is combat in films so I can gain this insight in advance.
You're one of only two or three content creators who talks specifically about THIS kind of stuff in movies. It is unbelievably refreshing and educational! Thank you for doing this video, it was a hell of a lot of fun to watch! I think it'd be really cool for you to do a fight scene review of movies like "Eastern Promises", though that would be pretty tricky because 1. It's not choreographed, and 2. Viggo Mortensen is nude for the entirety of it so lots of censorship would have to take place. A breakdown of the fight scenes in "A History of Violence" would be great as well and don't feature nudity, but they are very, very ugly, brutal, and graphic.
OMG. I’ve been waiting for the Pacific Rim video since you mentioned it in your livestream. I thought you were going to address Uprising, but this is SO. MUCH. BETTER. Thank you Ursa!!!
I know I'm late to the party, but excellent video! I never analyzed these scenes quite so deeply, but whole-heartedly agree with everything you said. Yet another beautiful facet of the semi-hidden diamond that is Pacific Rim. It is a movie that takes one of the dumbest premises possible and still manages to be well thought out, a joy for eyes and ears, and just generally awesome.
This is the only channel whose analysis makes me want to watch the movie again. So far I've watched The Princess Bride, Star Wars and I'm about to watch Pacific Rim. Damn, I love this chennel.
I love Pacific Rim. I actually like non-human fight scenes in movies, but in most movies when there is something like a "big thing fighting" (Yeah, I am pointing at you, Transformers), the fight tends to be so illogical, dumb and full of childish ridiculous holes (ohhh, best way to save a man from falling on a concrete is to catch him with your massive metal hand right above the concrete, right?:-D) that just ruin the mood. But Pacific Rim realized basic laws of physics exist. That big thing needs a lot of energy to move, that big thing falling from the sky makes a big mess etc...those fights were so brilliantly "heavy". There were certain scenes when I was not sure about "how exactly that one would help" ( like- do you really need cargo boxes in your hand of a size of a Millenium friggin Falcon to make more devastating punch if you yourself can squeeze them as a paper?:-D) , but mostly I loved watching them.
My read about Pentecost wasn't as a MarySue, but that, in the early days, they focused on suppression, rather than melding of personalities. This made "first gens" as basically poker faces, then later models/discoveries improving the tech. This shows the technological progression, but actually improves Pentecost as a fighter.
I love good brutal fight choreography. Getting it in the same movie with more elegant stuff is even nicer. Getting both kinds from the same character really elevates things. And all of that goes even further when you can see how the choreography ties into plot and characterization. It's probably time for another Pacific Rim rewatch.
I’ve watched this nearly a dozen times by now.. and almost always immediately wanted to watch the movie again. This vid gives a context to an already great film that I wasn’t smart enough to see. Now please cover the Achilles v Hector fight!! I’d love to hear your take on it..
Pacific Rim is one of those movies that has a lot more depth than most people (especially most critics) give it credit for. I'm no fight choreographer, but I did see that balance in the Mako vs Raleigh match. It was a contest of equals trying to feel each other out, as Raleigh says from the start. PR is filled with such moments. Too bad they never made a sequel.
Ladyknightthebrave has just done a video essay on Pacific Rim. A film I knew nothing about except the 'cancelling the apocalypse' speech. So I watched the film, saw the fight scenes and immediately thought 'Hmm, I wonder what Jill would have to say about that' - and here you are. My perfect little RUclips bubble. Thank you for just popping up in my recommendations a while back, being, well, you, and teaching me about things I never thought I'd wonder about.
This is a fantastic analysis. I've always loved both this movie as a whole both of these fights for similar reasons to yours. How much characterisation is conveyed through the action sequences is truly spectacular and the score makes me want to go fight a hurricane. Thank you for pinpointing exactly what I've struggled to express to people for years about this film that I genuinely love so I can point people to you :D I've powered through your other analyses and you've got a subscriber for life here.
when I first watched this like four months ago it like deeply inspired me and I named the "bully" in my story Chuck because of this. To be fair Chuck was brainwashed the whole time but... ANyways I'm rewatching this to study fighting scenes to help me write them.
I haven't seen the movie yet but I watched the full scene on youtube after watching this video, and a few other points I noticed are when he challenges Mako and she looks towards the general(?) for his permission. She was genuinely excited by the prospect. Also, unlike a lot of stories that do similar 'finding your match in combat' tropes, Raleigh doesn't criticize her skills - he acknowledges them wholeheartedly and wants to see them. "What's the matter, do you think your brightest can't cut it?" IE: "I KNOW she's good so stop holding her back."
I love it so much when I come across a video made years ago and it gives me an understanding of something entirely unrelated in my life. This analysis helped me on a personal level in ways I won't ever be able to explain but I want to say thank you. So so much, thank you for that Lil nugget. I needed that!
I find the last fight more more beautiful, because it actually looks like they have skill... the telegraphing with the staffs is huge! I know that with a blunt weapon, you kind of have to wind up, but just like the sucker punch, a "sucker staff" gets your opponent out of balance enough for a stronger move (if you need). If I was in Mako's place, that first point scored would have been mine with a thrust to his chin, she definitely has enough time to pull it off. Edit: I just watched your star wars video, where you mentioned you tried HEMA. you can ignore the following paragraph if you'd like, I'm leaving it for the people who haven't tried it I always recommend doing HEMA for people who are interested in fights with weapons, because unlike regular martial arts, HEMA is just martial, there is no art. It's just "how can I kill you most effectively" which is how fights in movie usually should look like (even sparring). take a look, if you can find classes nearby (once pandemic is over, ofc), and please, share it with people interested in coreographed fights. We can have the same level of realism on weapons fights as we have on unarmed fights, we just need enough people who can tell realism from unnecessary flashing.
what i always found interesting was something that someone on tumblr pointed out; raleigh's last move in the brawl doesn't make sense for a man of his height or build since he's 6'1 and can rely on his strength, that's a move of someone much smaller who needs to use their opponent's weight and height against them. it's a mako move, not a raleigh move. the storytelling is right down to the moves chosen for the characters. i love this film. edit: just seen that someone else mentioned the same tumblr post.
In my opinion that whole "pay attention" isn't him flirting, it's him treating her like a sibling. Like the only person he has drifted with: his brother.
I agree. Note also how they don't kiss at the end, as is action movie standard. They hug, there's some affectionate head touching, but all the physical affection is closer to how Aragorn is with his comrades in Lord of the Rings than typical romantic intimacy. They're close, but it is ambiguous whether or not they have romantic feelings for each other. That's one thing I really like about this movie, not only is the female lead just as capable and has just as much agency as the male, it also isn't assumed that a close relationship between them necessarily leads to romance.
Given that the only other mixed-sex Jaeger team is a married couple, Mako peeping on Raleigh, etc, the simpler, more logical explanation is that Raleigh and Mako's relationship *is* a romantic one, it's just played with a little more restraint than most modern movies.
@@CanadianPale But even the scene of her peeking can be read ambiguously. Yes, she is most likely checking him out, but the film very clearly shows us (and her) his scars from the fight where he lost his brother. And it could easily be read as her seeing them and "getting" something about him, his past, and his mindset. Furthering the idea of their drift compatability.
@@scaper8 there's nothing ambiguous about it. Mako reacts to Raleigh looking her in the eye like a bashful teenage girl caught in the act of checking out a boy she's attracted to (immediately getting flustered and hiding behind her door), not a grave and grizzled fellow warrior analytically observing another's scars, nor does the camera give any emphasis to lingering traces of physical damage to Raleigh's body, but instead focuses on his well-defined torso as a whole.
@@maddie9602 Actually they did kiss at the end originally. The kiss scene was filmed, but it was deemed to not work very well and not be necessary.
Something you missed, but then you were looking at the choreography so it's not like you missed it and rather ignored it, is that Stacker criticises Mako after she gains a point and tells her "More control". This shows that her being unpredictable is something Stacker notices, and that he wants to "correct" her so that she isn't the best candidate. He knows that if she continues fighting like this Raleigh won't accept anyone but her, and he doesn't want that. And she she disobeys him. It's a great character moment imo, for both of them.
Definitely did not notice that!
"Kick his butt, baby. I'll hold your clipboard"
Haha, gold)
the lore explanation for why stacker can drift with anyone is because he's very practiced with meditation; any two people could theoretically drift together, even complete strangers, but incompatibility comes from them trying to control random memories or thoughts that might show up in the drift. they get focused on trying to hide scary, shameful, or other negative memories or thoughts and end up "chasing the rabbit". stacker's practiced letting those thoughts and memories pass by, so he doesnt get lost in them. that of course takes nothing into account for his potential random drift partner, but i would assume chuck at least trusts stacker enough and is practiced in letting thoughts go by to drift well enough for a world-saving mission
presumably the focus required to do it effectively, all by himself, even though it was causing him significant injury (and presumably pain) means he's had to control a jager under far worse conditions than a rowdy co-pilot.
@@reganator5000 most of the visible damage done to rangers piloting solo was unrelated to them piloting alone. stacker's health was declining because of cancer caused by coyote tango's reactor shielding design, and raleigh's injuries were damage from knifehead and g danger's circuit suit short-circuiting after her arm was torn off.
the ability to pilot a jaeger solo isnt a descriptor of their mental strength, its more related to their ability to endure the mental load until they die or they dont have to anymore. before the drift was discovered, many people died, or had brain damage and seizures, testing jaeger technology because all of the first pilots were solo.
with a sample size that large, it probably has less to do with a particular ability they all lacked and raleigh and stacker somehow have, and more related to an adrenaline rush like the anecdote about a mother lifting a car off of her child
the canon explanation for why stacker can drift with basically anyone, even a pisshead like chuck, is because he meditates all the time and is practiced in letting thoughts and memories drift by instead of clinging to them, so hes able to focus on helping someone like chuck do that and stay in sync instead of desynching
I'm 120% here for Mako and Raleigh's platonic friendship magic, but that bit where she hikes his hips off the floor is the hottest thing ever.
So here's the thing in the original cut of the film they kiss at the end on the lifepod. The test audience didn't like it so they cut it. Except they sent the first cut to some theatres including the one I went to. I was so thrown when I see it again in VOD
I'm surprised you don't mention the fact that his face is so calm while Chuck slams him into a wall. He simply takes the hit because he knows it doesn't matter, and takes the time to plan his next move. "Able to think while angry" indeed.
I really enjoy how the leg lock Raleigh uses in the end of his fight with Chuck reminds me of the leglock Mako uses in her fight with Raleigh. He's not just fighting Chuck in defense of Mako. He's fighting Chuck the way Mako would. And that my friends, is what being drift compatible is all about.
Was looking for this comment because it wasn't mentioned in the video, the fact that the two fights are ended with the same move.
I haven’t seen the movie, but from the footage in this video and Jill’s description of the finishing move in the “VS Chuck” fight as being Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, I’d have to guess it’s an Omo Plata, which is an armlock applied by one’s legs. Anybody?
@@5RRRtarRiver Correct, it's not a leglock, it's an arm submission. Basically the BJJ equivalent of twisting your little brother's arm behind their back. Note that he also applies a wristlock to Chuck's left hand as well. With a normal omo plata, you would see him sit up and reach across his back to the right shoulder, putting even more stress on the left shoulder. This can be used to dislocate or even break the arm if followed through with. However with the more relaxed posture and the wristlock, it appears more as if he is subduing him rather than attempting to injure him.
I don’t think Mako would be able to push Chuck around, not saying she wouldn’t win she’d kick his ass, she’s kind of a small lady and Ral was using his weight against Chucks quiet a lot in this “fight” here. She’d be more about hitting the back the knee and hurting him a lot more.
Same
I always thought that Pacific Rim was the most thoughtful dumb movie in a while. Loved it and loved the video.
Same
That's actually a great way to describe it. Because it is a very dumb movie, but at the same time it's a ridiculously clever, thoughtful movie.
Movies with Mikey has a great video on exactly that theme.
Pacific Rim is what happens when someone take a dumb action movie concept, and gives it the time and attention of talented artists. There is no reason action has to be dumb, except that we treat it as dumb.
That kissing moment at end didn't happen was perfect. The moment leaned standard love intreset beats but sitting there in mutual friendship was the perfect subversion.
Just a thing that i was hoping you'd comment on, because i've only seen like one post on tumblr about it probably five years ago: in the fight with Chuck, at first Raleigh is fighting using his own skills, with which he would have eventually beaten Chuck anyway. But with their last exchange he gets REALLY efficient, stops meeting force with force (blocking) and fluidly redirects Chuck's attack into the Jiu-Jitsu move that ends the fight. It's been theorized (and i hold to this) that because Raleigh has drifted with Mako by this point, he's learned her skillset and thought process toward fighting ("could have finished two moves earlier"), coupled with the fact that since she's smaller and no necessarily as strong, redirection is the smarter thing to do. Also it's kind of poetic because it's like "you're gonna insult Mako? Fine, i'm gonna beat your ass with HER abilities."
Great point!
There’s also a thing in the lore that never comes up in the movie, which I believe is called “ghost drifting,” (I could be remembering wrong,) which basically means that because they’ve known eachother’s thought process, it’s possible to think and follow eachother like they’re drifting even when they’re not plugged in.
I’ve always personally liked the version of this theory where it’s not just that Raleigh is echoing Mako’s fighting style, but that by the end of this fight, they are ghost drifting with eachother - in that moment, they are one and the same in thought and choice of action, two halves of a whole. This is supported not just by the face Raleigh fights like someone half his own size, but when you catch glimpses of Mako in the background, she’s in a defensive posture, fists up, even though she’s standing at least 10ft away from the fight.
Pacific Rim just released an anime spinoff set years after the sequel, and it pretty much confirms your theory: drifting makes people share not just memories, but also skills. One of the ancillary characters, an engineer, is forced to drift with multiple mercenaries in quick succession. While he ends up losing half his tech skills, he develops the skill to toss daggers and juggle.
Later on, the hero drifts with the recorded memories of Chuck's dad, Herc Hansen, and starts thinking Herc's memories are his.
I suggest everyone check out Pacific Rim: The Black. It's really good, even for an anime, and especially for an anime that uses super-choppy 3D animation. My only negatives for it are that it's set in Australia but only two characters have an Australian accent.
Damn I always loved this move but still discovering things about it in 2021 makes me love it even more!!!
@@msf2399ghost drifitng is drifting with someone’s memory/recorder “avatar” of sorts.
IE. Drifting *with* a “ghost”
somebody on tumblr pointed out once that while most of the chuck fight is raileigh whaling on him, the final takedown is "mako-style" lever work, like the move she used to finish off their final bout
so not only did they click - he learned something from her already
Man the Mako/Raleigh shipping fuel in this video is REAL.
(Insert Maui “you’re welcome” meme here) 😁
@@JillBearup Pacific Rim Uprising kinda puts the kibosh on that.
@@davidsumner7604t the shipper in me tells me to pretend the sequel never happened or atleast that a certain scene got cut.
Oddly enough, I never shipped these two. I always felt that, while they indeed share something very intimate it actually precludes romantic interest. Don't get me wrong, there's a solid 80% chance that they knocked boots as soon as they hit dry land, but I'd wager it'd be a one-time thing.
With all that being said, I'm firmly on team Pretend Uprising Never Happened.
I fucking love that they managed to have a whole movie establishing physical and emotional compatibility of a male and female lead character and even hint at a glimmer of sexual interest and then resist the urge to have them kiss at the end. That moment was not about that and the head touch was perfect. That took serious conviction from the screenwriters to steer away from that cliche and was one of the best surprises in a film featuring an orbital swordfight with an alien pterosaur and Ron Perlman being eaten midsentence 😄
"If, as Raleigh says, '...it's a dialogue not a fight...' on the mat, then this is not so much a dialogue as a monologue Chuck tries, and mostly fails, to interrupt..."
I'm referring to one-sided fights as monologues from now on...like I'm just gonna straight up steal that. Payment is a subscription.
The payment is acceptable :D
Gives a whole new meaning to verbal smackdown
Also tending to reinforce Raleigh's unpredictability is the fact that he starts beating up Chuck with a total sucker punch.
I just can't help but imagine thought process in Raleigh's head.
"Maybe we should try to reason with this asshol... oh, he goes for my partner for her mistake that could happen to anyone on their first drift. Well, let's skip to more efficient language."
"Everyone has a button they can push"
*cut to Raleigh pushing Chuck's button*
I see you, Jill Bearup.
Highly aggressive boop
@@grimreefer9324 that's an interesting way to label punches.
@@grimreefer9324 Haha!
_"When you learn fight choreography, you don't try to learn it all in one go, because that would be terrible and inefficient and your brain will explode..."_
And after a moment of laughter, I subscribe...
In the first move, when he strikes but doesnt hit her; I took it as: him saying with body language "Will you trust me?" And when she doesnt flinch it's her saying "Yes I will" then she does the same it's like she is saying "Will you trust me?" And he response as well without flinching its him saying "Yes I will" with his body language. Because trust is the foundation of any bond you want to build with someone especially if the person you're trying to bond with needs to have your back while controlling a Kaiiju size mech lol
This is why there should be oscars for stunt choreography and stunt work. When done well, it's a beautifully deep way of communicating story and character.
Also I love that Chuck has the crap kicked out of him quite easily proving that the only reason his Jaeger has the most kills is because it's the newest and best machine, not necessarily because of his skill
Also probably helps that his co-pilot is a family member (same as Raleigh in the past) and said co-pilot serves purely to counter Chuck's 'intensity'
I think another big reason Chuck loses this fight so badly is because it doesn't mean anything to him. Chuck is used to running his mouth without consequences or minimal consequences. But this matters to Raleigh. Raleigh will take flack for his own actions, but Chuck manages to hit a nerve - Mako is going to suffer for Raleigh going out of drift first. Chuck finally said the wrong thing to the wrong Jaeger pilot. This is basically the kick in the a** Herc and Raleigh are talking about earlier in the cafeteria.
You manage to make these fight scenes “speak”. Ordinarily, I see fight scenes as time wasters used to fill in before the plot restarts. Thank you for the insight.
I think Jill's TLJ video does this too. We've become kinda bad at talking about the way in which action scenes work dramatically, which is action something Pacific Rim's great for. Unlike, say, Marvel films where most of the setpieces are done solely by VFX people without a director's input, GdT was involved with all the CG-based stuff and as a result the whole film speaks with his "voice."
It's also a Guillermo del Toro movie. Everything has meaning.
I have fenced heavy rapier - always sparring - for over a decade. There are people I have sparred with so regularly that we can utterly predict each other. That typically results in long exchanges punctuated by a mutual kill - we each know the counter, each avoid it, and both end up getting stabbed.
Oh, I know that feeling. When I did Judo I had this one friend, we were evenly matched. Every single last match up ended up being "Who's gonna get tired of being stuck evenly first?" and since mutual loss isn't a thing in Judo one had to take the hit.
If fights are a dialogue, then your videos are the subtitles. I knew I loved these fights and you helped explain it so well. I also loved the character decision to have Raleigh not react to being insulted but super defensive of Mako. It shows an interesting character trait that I find super telling of who he is. I also find it a really interesting choice that he holds Mako back from defending HER BFF, but then snaps when he insults HIS BFF. The fact that both of them are able to keep their cool when being the target of direct attacks, but being super protective over those they care about is such a great illustration of just how deep their bond is ideologically. They aren't just compatible because they know the same moves and techniques, but because they have similar worldviews, priorities, and values. It also shows how well he understands her, because he's able to anticipate Mako's reaction to Chuck insulting Raleigh, probably because he's had a brother who would stand up for him like that in the past. Meanwhile, Mako, did not, so his defensiveness takes her by surprise... Or maybe she just wants to see Raleigh kick his ass, too.
So glad I've found your videos, and thank you so much for your deep insightful analyses!
I really like the idea of fight subtitles. Though an argument could be made for translation, too. Either way it has added to my experience of a number of movies. And a number of times it has caused me to want to see movies I previously had not and was not previously especially interested in. (Like this one. I've not seen it yet, but at this point I think I probably will.)
Its interesting that you mention the unpredictable moves working less and less because, in the novelisation of the film, Mako doesn't win that last point - Mako and Raleigh hit a stalemate. Neither one of them is able to win because they're too in sync. So when Pentecost says "Enough" he's actually calling an end to the fight else it'll go on forever. The match ends on a draw and THAT'S how they can tell they're drift compatible. Wonder why they didn't go that route in the film.
Probably would need a much longer fight for pentacost to realistically say “enough” and the choreography might have gotten complicated
I've read once that Chuck expresses love to HIS FATHER through his dog Max, and that made so much sense and moved me deeply. 7 years later, I still love Pacific Rim so, so dearly.
Pacific Rim managed to surprise me in being nowhere near as dumb as I expected. I especially liked the respect that Raleigh shows to Mako. He treats her as an equal, especially after their sparring match; and he fights her corner in trying to convince the boss-fella that she's the most suitable Jaeger pilot.
Also, until the very end, the film barely even hints at any romantic interest between them. It was only after she pulled him out of the escape pod that it looked like they might kiss. It's the kind of film in which I expect an inexplicable romance to occur, and it confounded my expectations.
I will now refer to this as the “prequel” to the “Flirty Fight Trilogy”
Because it lays the groundwork for the language used in the descriptions in Mask of Zorro and PP&Z, and the massacre that get fixed in Bulletproof Monk.
Note that Mako mirroring Raleigh starts before even their match, with that little swagger as she steps into the ring, completely at odds with her original personality.
From the behind-the-scenes notes, Raleigh is the impulsive, improvisational type, while Mako is the strategic, perfectionist type. Raleigh's strength is being unpredictable (hence why he kept trouncing the other recruits), but Mako has studied his strategies and knows how to to counter them, even if her lack of experience means he can still catch her off guard she's initially unprepared.
honestly, the kaiju are the weakest part of Pacific Rim. sure, the jaeger fights are awesome, but the only reason they mean anything is the pilots in the conn-pod. while it is possible to break down the big Jaeger fights the way you just did here, the kaiju are just... there. the only reason those fights have any life to them are the cuts to the pilots in the conn-pod (that shot of the russian pilots drowning under Leatherback while still clawing at their opponent? :chef's kiss: perfection).
the reason Pacific Rim resonates with so many people (and why so many people were outraged by The Sequel That Shall Not Be Named) is this. the human connection. because I too initially dismissed this movie as "giant robots fighting giant monsters". But it's so much more.
The giant robots fighting giant aliens get's people in their seats. The people piloting those robots keep them there. I'm using what Kevin Smith said about a marvel movie, Endgame I believe. It just works in the context of what you said as well.
While you definitely have a point that the pilots breathe life into the action, the kaiju aren't meant to do that. Kaiju, when used properly, breathe life into the *environment*, whether that's by how they move through it or how they destroy it.
I'd actually say the Kaiju battles are really well-made in terms of setting stakes and expectations, reversing advantage, etc. And they're rendered gloriously.
Every great Mecha show is great because of the pilots, with mechs themselves being extensions of said pilots. Most people remember 0079 for the rivalry between Amuro and Char.
"-but is basically the only hobby that lets me get out in the fresh air, and even then only sometimes."
Good hobby to have during an international quarantine, then?
Now you see, I always thought he said "It's a dial-up, not a fight" , but dialogue gives it more depth.
"I loved this movie a lot more than I thought I would."
That sums up my experience pretty well. I went into it fully expecting to hate it... I have now watched the movie no fewer than six times
I love this dumb giant robot movie so much. It has all the trappings of a silly summer popcorn flick with this amazing human way to approach the main characters. Also, they're friends at the end. Ugh. So good.
I love it when "big, dumb action movies" have much more going on beneath the surface.
Also, as Seraph says: "You never truly know someone until you fight them."
Can i just say, that i just watched this movie, for the first time, a few weeks ago, and it happened to be one of those cases where i went 'how on earth did i miss this movie for so god damn long?!'
Seriously. I did not expect to fall in love with a western godzilla adaption so much. Although, i think, this is Gavin Dunne's fault, partially. That song is just so good
So good. I could listen to MoS all day. And now it is stuck in my head again, thank you for that.
Avoid the squel like the plague, its utter garbage
@@codycarney2311 I watched it. It was pretty lame and disheartening
This movie is unironically one of my favorite movies (if not my actual favorite movie). I've watched it a couple times now (including a few days ago) and it holds up so well.
It's over the top, unapologetic about what it is, but also sneakily about love in every form (brotherly, father/daughter or father/son, friendship, romantic, etc) and how each form is important and let's you do amazing things. Heck, they even have a "love story" of mutual respect between the two scientists that have to work together in the end to tell everybody how to get through the rift.
Am I being over the top and mushy? Maybe? But man there aren't many action movies that can make me cry with a single line. "That's my son in there. My SON." And "sensei...aishite imasu" get me every time.
Regarding the anticipation thing, as a HEMA fighter, I will say it is 100% possible to anticipate where to block before the previous bind has even broken. I once was once long sword fighting with my instructor after around a year of training and we were close enough to each other that there should have been no way either of us lasted more than an instant but we went back and forth for 10-15 passes in rapid succession from every angle. The closest fight analogy would be Anakin vs Obi-wan just much shorter, and a lot less flashy but take a few seconds of that fight and you've got about how close we were and how intense it was.
Obviously, this sort of thing is only possible if the two fighters know each other's fighting well enough like in Pacific Rim's drift test or Anakin vs Obi-wan (which, even without force premonition, would almost be possible).
“...everythingally” is my new favorite phrase. But really, thanks for such a fun video! This movie is so fun and sadly not much talked about. I appreciated your insights into the characters and how the fights express them.
This movie has a lot of thought put into it for a summer blockbuster about giant robots powered by friendship beating up kaiju from space.
The great thing about Chuck's character is his mid-battle change of heart toward Raleigh and Mako. You know the one:
"COME ON, GIPSY! KICK HIS ASS!!!"
Yes indeed, look at their adorable faces! Also, there was something really cool about the way Mako moves her feet during the fight.
Between this and your Pirates vlog I’ve learned a lot. Both about fight choreography and progression of story line. While I enjoyed Pirates (the movie) what I saw of Pacific Rim lead me to believe it was a B-rate Godzilla knockoff. Obviously I was wrong. I’ll have to watch it again from the beginning. Thank you!
It feels more inspired by that episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion, where asuka and shinji learn to dance
Small bitey cat who has a soft side if they like you, + large friendly golden retriever who's easygoing but *will* throw down if you hurt his people = my favorite pairing for friends and romance alike.
I'm so very sad that we never got to see more of these two together.
It's not a monologue, it's a lecture. And Chuck just refuses to listen--with predictable results.
And, I just subscribed. Thank you for this analysis of how fight scenes express character!
My headcanon is that every pilot Pentecost trained learned Japanese and some of his philosophy. Or that Raleigh and his brother learned it because they joined so young that Pentecost was like a second father to them.
Holy butts this is my entire brand... I'm so glad to have found this and am excited to check out the rest of your videos!!
I squeed when I saw this video title. I love this movie. With the sparring match between Mako and Raleigh, I hadn't really considered his unpredictably and that they're looking for someone to keep up with him. It didn't consciously register for me why the other people weren't on his level till you pointed it out. And it makes me actually appreciate the fight even more.
The hallway fight is so satisfying. In my brain the final move he uses is something Mako would do - like even when they're not drifting their fight styles are wearing off on each other. I'm pretty sure this is just my head cannon, however.
I just learned that I need to watch Pacific Rim
As an author who wants to write realistic fight scenes but has absolutely no clue how to fight in the first place, this was very helpful. Thank you, Jill
Thank you! I was rewatching Pacific Rim (it's a favorite) and I FINALLY understand how the spars determined drift comparability. It makes the movie, and the later fight with jerk face even better
It really is a movie that is much better than it seems, and I think you found a big reason why. The fight science are more than just punching.
I’m just gonna put this on videos I dig, starting with this one-
My country is even more of a shithole than usual right now, and I’m feeling a lot of simmering directionless rage. You have my sincere thanks for putting up something that could let me escape from that for a few minutes.
-Nicholas
I love Mako and Raleigh's relationship so much!
When we practiced Bo in training..my favorite techniques were Kerthump and Wee
You should do the throne room scene in _Return of the Jedi._ Or perhaps a three-parter - the first fight between Vader and Luke in _Empire_, the second fight in _Return_ and then a lesson on how they differ.
I always had strong feelings about this scenes, but you described perfectly what it was. You put my feelings into words, thank you. I love this movie.
Funny thing I've watched this movie several time already, and I've failed to really get the stick fighting scene. I get it's purpose I just wasn't able to break it down like she did.
Pacific Rim is a great movie, I enjoyed the big robot fights but I fell in love with the movie when they didn’t smooch during the ending.
Man, I wish I had a fighting partner.
I love this film and I love these two. I love their friendship and I'm so, so thankful it's not romantic. I love that they're comfortable with playful flirting but it's still clear it's friendship. Because friends flirt! Flirting is fun!
I was surprised by your point on the identically dressed asian guys in the partnering fight being deliberately bland to visually indicate that they're a bad match to Raleigh. There were three of them and they were so identical I've read them as the Crimson Typhoon pilots any time I watched the scene, imagining it was some kind of 'test the newcomer' thing since pairing with Raleigh would have broken up their Jaeger team.
I think it's fascinating that if the Chinese pilots were introduced with more depth than just 'asian trio' or if there weren't exactly 3 matching hopeful recruits, I doubt I'd have made that false association.
Rewatching the scene here you can see the red jumpsuits of the actual Crimson Typhoon pilots in the back spectating but since I'd already decided the fighters on the mat were the trio of brothers my brain interpreted them as crew members wearing similar red uniforms who were there to support 'their' pilots. It's funny how one misinterpretation can cascade like that.
You've added huge depth to the film I didn't even catch and this is one of my favorite movies. Thank you. I'm going to watch much more intently when there is combat in films so I can gain this insight in advance.
You're one of only two or three content creators who talks specifically about THIS kind of stuff in movies. It is unbelievably refreshing and educational! Thank you for doing this video, it was a hell of a lot of fun to watch!
I think it'd be really cool for you to do a fight scene review of movies like "Eastern Promises", though that would be pretty tricky because 1. It's not choreographed, and 2. Viggo Mortensen is nude for the entirety of it so lots of censorship would have to take place. A breakdown of the fight scenes in "A History of Violence" would be great as well and don't feature nudity, but they are very, very ugly, brutal, and graphic.
Thanks! Who are the others you like?
(I don’t know if the world is ready for an entirely pixelated fight scene review 😁)
@@JillBearup: Only one way to find out! :P
OMG.
I’ve been waiting for the Pacific Rim video since you mentioned it in your livestream.
I thought you were going to address Uprising, but this is SO. MUCH. BETTER.
Thank you Ursa!!!
I know I'm late to the party, but excellent video!
I never analyzed these scenes quite so deeply, but whole-heartedly agree with everything you said. Yet another beautiful facet of the semi-hidden diamond that is Pacific Rim. It is a movie that takes one of the dumbest premises possible and still manages to be well thought out, a joy for eyes and ears, and just generally awesome.
This is the only channel whose analysis makes me want to watch the movie again. So far I've watched The Princess Bride, Star Wars and I'm about to watch Pacific Rim. Damn, I love this chennel.
These videos are great fun. It's like having a body language translator explaining all the fight phrases into English for me!
I love Pacific Rim. I actually like non-human fight scenes in movies, but in most movies when there is something like a "big thing fighting" (Yeah, I am pointing at you, Transformers), the fight tends to be so illogical, dumb and full of childish ridiculous holes (ohhh, best way to save a man from falling on a concrete is to catch him with your massive metal hand right above the concrete, right?:-D) that just ruin the mood. But Pacific Rim realized basic laws of physics exist. That big thing needs a lot of energy to move, that big thing falling from the sky makes a big mess etc...those fights were so brilliantly "heavy". There were certain scenes when I was not sure about "how exactly that one would help" ( like- do you really need cargo boxes in your hand of a size of a Millenium friggin Falcon to make more devastating punch if you yourself can squeeze them as a paper?:-D) , but mostly I loved watching them.
this video got me to watch the movie and I am glad it did
My read about Pentecost wasn't as a MarySue, but that, in the early days, they focused on suppression, rather than melding of personalities. This made "first gens" as basically poker faces, then later models/discoveries improving the tech. This shows the technological progression, but actually improves Pentecost as a fighter.
Pacific Rim is really a nice popcorn flick. Unlike its sequel, it has a lot of nice stuff in it.
Woah, the idea of a 'dialogue' and a 'monologue' in a fight scene is super compelling.
Pacific Rim is probably the best movie about "Giant robots, powered by friendship, fighting Godzilla monsters" that there has probably ever been.
I love good brutal fight choreography. Getting it in the same movie with more elegant stuff is even nicer. Getting both kinds from the same character really elevates things.
And all of that goes even further when you can see how the choreography ties into plot and characterization. It's probably time for another Pacific Rim rewatch.
I just finished rewatching the movie and I had to come back and rewatch this too :D
I’ve watched this nearly a dozen times by now.. and almost always immediately wanted to watch the movie again. This vid gives a context to an already great film that I wasn’t smart enough to see.
Now please cover the Achilles v Hector fight!! I’d love to hear your take on it..
Pacific Rim is one of those movies that has a lot more depth than most people (especially most critics) give it credit for. I'm no fight choreographer, but I did see that balance in the Mako vs Raleigh match. It was a contest of equals trying to feel each other out, as Raleigh says from the start. PR is filled with such moments.
Too bad they never made a sequel.
This is great! I never quite understood what was happening with Raleigh and the possible drift partners fighting and this makes so much sense.
Ladyknightthebrave has just done a video essay on Pacific Rim. A film I knew nothing about except the 'cancelling the apocalypse' speech. So I watched the film, saw the fight scenes and immediately thought 'Hmm, I wonder what Jill would have to say about that' - and here you are.
My perfect little RUclips bubble.
Thank you for just popping up in my recommendations a while back, being, well, you, and teaching me about things I never thought I'd wonder about.
Great Stuff, Jill Bearup!
Once again, you display your Skills.
This is a fantastic analysis. I've always loved both this movie as a whole both of these fights for similar reasons to yours. How much characterisation is conveyed through the action sequences is truly spectacular and the score makes me want to go fight a hurricane. Thank you for pinpointing exactly what I've struggled to express to people for years about this film that I genuinely love so I can point people to you :D I've powered through your other analyses and you've got a subscriber for life here.
I will now forever call counting in a beat as rhythmic communication via sticks
I have just rewatched this film and I forgot how much I love it and thank you for appreciating it.
Just another reason to love my favorite action movie that has the sincerity of Linus VanPelt in a pumpkin patch.
You should do the fight scene in the John Cusak movies Grosse Point Blank and/or War Inc. Also you must, must, MUST do the fight scene in They Live!
I love this entire movie
To paraphrase Super Eyepatch Wolf - Raleigh vs. Mako is fighting. Raleigh vs. Chuck is violence.
I have seen this movie and completely forgotten all about it, but this really makes me wanna see it again
Unpredictable becomes predictable for family. Like Thor Ragnarok.
when I first watched this like four months ago it like deeply inspired me and I named the "bully" in my story Chuck because of this. To be fair Chuck was brainwashed the whole time but... ANyways I'm rewatching this to study fighting scenes to help me write them.
Love that little note you had in there about how II fight uses Quick Cuts ad another form of contrast.
Taking something I already love and finding a new way to help me appreciate it even more, thank you so very very much.
Pacific Rim, the best Dumb Movie this decade.
I haven't seen the movie yet but I watched the full scene on youtube after watching this video, and a few other points I noticed are when he challenges Mako and she looks towards the general(?) for his permission. She was genuinely excited by the prospect. Also, unlike a lot of stories that do similar 'finding your match in combat' tropes, Raleigh doesn't criticize her skills - he acknowledges them wholeheartedly and wants to see them. "What's the matter, do you think your brightest can't cut it?" IE: "I KNOW she's good so stop holding her back."
Pacific Rim is just in my opinion in "deeper then it seems" category.
I love it! Finally I understand how they found out about their drift compatibility through the fight! Thank you!
I love it so much when I come across a video made years ago and it gives me an understanding of something entirely unrelated in my life.
This analysis helped me on a personal level in ways I won't ever be able to explain but I want to say thank you. So so much, thank you for that Lil nugget. I needed that!
I’m watching your videos because fighting is dialogue and I’d like my characters talking properly. Thank you for translating.
I. LOVE. THIS. MOVIE.
I. LOVE. THIS SCENE.
I. LOVE. THIS. ANALYSIS.
I find the last fight more more beautiful, because it actually looks like they have skill... the telegraphing with the staffs is huge! I know that with a blunt weapon, you kind of have to wind up, but just like the sucker punch, a "sucker staff" gets your opponent out of balance enough for a stronger move (if you need). If I was in Mako's place, that first point scored would have been mine with a thrust to his chin, she definitely has enough time to pull it off.
Edit: I just watched your star wars video, where you mentioned you tried HEMA. you can ignore the following paragraph if you'd like, I'm leaving it for the people who haven't tried it
I always recommend doing HEMA for people who are interested in fights with weapons, because unlike regular martial arts, HEMA is just martial, there is no art. It's just "how can I kill you most effectively" which is how fights in movie usually should look like (even sparring). take a look, if you can find classes nearby (once pandemic is over, ofc), and please, share it with people interested in coreographed fights. We can have the same level of realism on weapons fights as we have on unarmed fights, we just need enough people who can tell realism from unnecessary flashing.
i love pacific rim so much and im not ashamed!
what i always found interesting was something that someone on tumblr pointed out; raleigh's last move in the brawl doesn't make sense for a man of his height or build since he's 6'1 and can rely on his strength, that's a move of someone much smaller who needs to use their opponent's weight and height against them. it's a mako move, not a raleigh move. the storytelling is right down to the moves chosen for the characters.
i love this film.
edit: just seen that someone else mentioned the same tumblr post.
Beautiful analysis, thank you. Makes me want to rewatch the film.